The Shining stars
by the darkside of life
Summary: 3 years into the future, all of Konon is at peace, except for one man, the only ruler of the country. After much desion, his advisors suggests he go find a wife and secure a future free of civil war, taken to heart, he sets out on an adventure, with a li


The shining stars Chapter 1- setting out By: Darkside  
  
*** characters may be OOC, but if you would please deal with it, I would be must happy. Please read and review. This would also make me must happy! ^^ Darkside (^.^) ***  
  
The day had been sunny and clear, when about noon a wind came from nowhere and chilled everyone. It mirrored the emperor's mood. He was happy that his land was once more peaceful, but upset that his priestess had left to live in her own world.  
  
Hotohori stood outside in his traveling clothes, a brown cloak and hood over that. On his hip was his holy sword, beside his beauty, that was the only thing that showed who he really was. Beside him stood a white stallion with black mane and tail, it nipped at his shoulder as it could sense his depression, Hotohori petted it's nose.  
  
"Yuasa?" His guard snapped to attention, "Yes sire?" Yuasa stood about a head and a half taller than Hotohori with shaggy black hair and beard and wild black eyes, he wore common upper lower class clothes, and the sword at his hip was the only thing that showed his position, the sheath showed the royal crest. He stood by his own horse, it was a chestnut with black mane and tail, on it's back was all the supplies they would need for the trip they were about to take. "Where is Hanoi? He was to meet us here a whole hour ago." "I... I don't know sire." Hotohori sighed, looking up at the passing clouds. "Sire?" Hotohori looked down at the young serving boy that would be coming with them.  
  
Unlike Yuasa, the boy stood a head and a half shorter than Hotohori with black hair tied back in a bun on top of his head and bright blue, that looked to be rimmed with purple, eyes that looked at the ground and a baby smooth face. He too wore traveling clothes, but like Tamahome used to ware, and cloak over that. He had no horse, so he would be riding with Yuasa.  
  
"What is your name boy?" Hotohori had never seen this youth at the palace before. "Hikari, sire, Hikari Hoshi." He had never heard this name ether. "How old are you." "I'm turning 21 in two months." Hotohori paused, he himself was 24, but way larger than this boy, he shock it off. "What is it that you wish to tell me?" Hotohori looked back to the clouds, watching the boy from the corner of his eye.  
  
"I believe Hanoi was still asleep when I past by his room to drop his traveling clothes." Hotohori's normally happy face turned to a frown. "It was his idea to make me do this silly quest thing. Why is he late?"  
  
His advisors had meet and decided it best, now that the great summoning was over that he should find a wife and produce a heir. Hotohori had unsuccessfully try to get them to change their mind. They were to travel all over Konon to find someone worthy enough to become his wife. He now stood out in the cold, waiting for the man who had proposed the idea in the first place.  
  
Finally after another half an hour after wait, Hanoi was there and they were ready to go. Hanoi was a short old man of about 40 and had gray hair and gray mustache with beady black eyes, that darted everywhere. He too wore traveling clothes, but no weapons of any kind. He rode a horse that looked as old and tired as he did, a small gray mare. They set a rather fast and where out of Koto and almost to the next city in about an hour or so.  
  
At the towns edge, they dismounted and walked their horses through the town, Hanoi pointing out various girls to Hotohori, who kept shaking his head. Hikari and Yuasa took up the rear, talking through the town. "Do you think his highness will find someone?" Hikari looked up at the big man, "I can't say. There might be still some hope that his highness will but aside faces and look for someone with a good personality." Yuasa laughed at this. "What's so funny Yuasa?" He stopped laughing immediately, "Nothing your majesty, nothing at all." Hotohori gave him a weird look then turned around to look at the young girl Hanoi was pointing out.  
  
"Be careful young one, you might bring certain wraith to yourself. What did you say your name was?" "My name is Hikari. And I'm almost 21, I'm not a 'young one'." Yuasa put the younger boy in a head lock, "I'm Yuasa, and if I call you young one, it's because your young to my own age." Hikari laughed a little, "What ever you say." "I'd saw you were no more than 13 by just looking at you." Hotohori said, as he was listining to their conversation. Hikari bent his head, "I've always been small you majesty. It kind of runs in the family, you would know what I meant if you saw my mother." "Where are you from, young one?" Yuasa said, making sure he said young one. "I'm from Yana, a city maybe three days travel from here. Where are you from?" Yuasa smiled, "I am from the great city of Koto." The two kept talking like that and were joined from time to time by Hotohori.  
  
Once outside the town, they rested for afternoon lunch, where Hikari ran back to town and came back with a lunch from the local inn. They ate and were soon on their way to the next town. "This will get tiring fast, won't it?" Hikari sighed, holding tight to Yuasa, he never really liked big horses. Yuasa nodded but kept looking straight to the back of Hotohori's hood. Just as they reached the next village, it started to pour down rain. Cloaks pulled tightly against them, they stopped at the inn and paid for a room and stables for their horses. Yuasa and Hikari setteled in the horses then joined Hotohori and Hanoi in their room. "Boy, would you go down stairs and fetch us some tea?" Hikari bowed to Hanoi and once more exited the room. "Sire, I don't believe you trying hard enough." Hotohori sighed, "I fear I'm distracted by the past." "It's been over three years! You shouldn't still be falling over the priestess of Suzaku, you need to think of the future. If you do not wed and produce an heir, there will be civil war through all the nobles and then all your hard work will be for nothing." Hotohori sighed, he knew his advisor was right, it had been far to long, he needed to get over it. "Very well, I will try my best to think of the problem at hand." Hotohori put on a smile as Hikari returned carrying a tray of tea and cups. He set them down on the table and poured a cup for Hanoi and Hotohori, then a cup for Yuasa. Hotohori sipped his tea and tuned out Hanoi as he watched Hikari not pour a glass for himself, but just sit against a wall and work on mending a piece of clothing. 'I can feel something about that boy. It feels all most like an aura, a senshi aura if I'm not mistaken. But there can't be, even my own has been reduced.' "Sire, are you listening to me?" Hotohori was about to reply when a crash was heard from downstairs, yelling and foot steps were heard climbing up the stairs. Yuasa, drew his sword and stood as the doorknob was turned.  
  
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